Clarksburg , West Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Central West Virginia Airport boasts quick check-ins , free , accessible parking and a convenient baggage claim .

That 's not surprising , considering that fewer than 20 people fly out of the facility on any given day . And all three scheduled daily departures to Washington have a stop in Morgantown , West Virginia , only 35 miles away . But the airport offers a special treat as the end of the year approaches -- free sightseeing flights .

Thanks to a Federal Aviation Administration program that gives small regional airports millions of dollars if they can reach a certain level of passenger traffic , the Clarksburg , West Virginia , facility tries its best to get 10,000 passengers off the ground by the end of the year . For Suzanne Pierson , that meant she and her grandson Donavan got an `` awesome '' bird 's - eye view of Clarksburg and neighboring Bridgeport , West Virginia , from a chartered Boeing 757 last December .

`` They were trying to meet the quota , and they were 300 passengers short , '' said Pierson , who saw an ad placed by the airport advertising the free flights .

Since the difference between 10,000 and 9,999 is the difference between $ 1 million and $ 150,000 in federal funds , airport managers in Clarksburg and other small towns do whatever they can to get over that number . In Kearney , Nebraska , residents get to take aerial tours of the city 's Christmas lights for $ 15 . In Altoona , Pennsylvania , residents got free 10-minute flights to reach the local airfield 's goal of 10,000 passengers .

Sen. Tom Coburn , an Oklahoma Republican who is a frequent critic of federal spending , said `` about 40 '' airports are believed to offer similar flight programs to reach the threshold , which was set by Congress . Coburn is asking the FAA and the Government Accountability Office , the investigative arm of Congress , to come up with a definitive figure .

`` The whole purpose for that is n't to say what you 're doing is illegal -- it 's probably not -- but to have a more cogent policy that truly represents the needs based on enplanements for every airport , '' Coburn said . He said federal support for small airports like Clarksburg 's `` should be earned in terms of grant process , '' not by gaming the system .

`` We created the incentive to kind of weasel on it so you can get more money , and it 's exacerbated now because of the economic downturn , '' Coburn said .

Clarksburg is about 200 miles west of Washington and about 110 miles south of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , where most area residents catch flights when they travel by air . But airport director Rick Rock said an economic benefit analysis said the facility contributes about $ 395 million into the local economy , `` So I definitely think there 's no question that we need this airport . ''

In addition to the $ 1 million based on passenger traffic , the Clarksburg airport got $ 30 million to lengthen its runway in 1999 and another $ 1.6 million from the Obama administration 's economic stimulus bill in 2009 . Local students get free flights to Washington for school trips as well , Rock said . And the airport just got another $ 150,000 grant from the FAA to promote itself .

Rock said the money is needed to meet FAA mandates for security , runway paving and safety , and he 's proud of what the facility has achieved -- particularly for students .

`` We 're trying to introduce aviation to them at a young age , so they can look at it as a career , '' he said . `` A lot of these kids have never had the chance to fly . We 've been able to share that opportunity , and the kids love it . It 's special . ''

But Coburn said at least five airports have used `` creative ways '' to keep the money flowing in and has managed to get support for a congressional investigation to find out how airports like North Central West Virginia can get so much money for so few passengers .

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North Central West Virginia airport offers free sightseeing flights to boost numbers

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Other small airports offer free flights , Christmas light tours to increase passenger traffic

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Republican senator wants FAA and Government Accountability Office to investigate